THE MORXIXG- OREGOMAX, FRIDAY. JANUARY 8,' 1909. TOBTLAND, OBEGON'. En lore. 1 at Portland, Oregon. Fostoftleei as econd-Ctaas Malter. subscription Katrs- InraHablj lo Advance. By Mail PaHy. Sunday Included, one rear ' Ial:. Sa.ndiv Incimlcl. aix months.... - I'aliy. runday- included, tnree mfnihl l-a:l. uiidy Included, one month.. .7i ('4 5 25 1.75 il 1 5 I.. VI J.i 04 Il:iy, wr.nout e-unaay. od ci Ia..y. wltnout Sunday. I'aiiv. without t-unday. s.s. uiuiiiiii three rr.ontns. . I-a.iy. without bunuy. on montu Weekly, one year..... Sunday, one ear fcun-iay ana Weekly, one year I By Carrier.) Vl.M .. S. Inrl'ir'.i OHB Teaf...... Xaliy! bunday Included, one month... " Haw lo Remit Send p"os:offlce B'J cruer. express order or personal chi on your local biDk. Stamps coin ir curwc are at tiw sender's rl.'k. Give pojtofflce ad dress In tiilU Including county aud stale. fiMtao Kalea 10 to 14 pags. 1 ""t: " to 2, puse. 2 centa; JO to 4 paes. i tn tJ pku. . cents. Foreign posts- double rates. burn Bonier Office Th. 3. C. Beck i.b i.pa:l icj-Ne ok. foo-" : t Tribune buiiums;. Chicago, rooma 61U-JI TribuiM bulidwg. rOBTLAVD. FRIDAY. JASCABY . 190. EXECUTIVE AU SENATE. President Roosevelt In hli refusal to comply with the request of the Senate for a. statement of reasons for tils approval of the absorption of the Tennessee Coal & Iron Company by the United States Steel Corporation, find for his omission to prosecute the latter corporation therefor, takes the high ground that it Is not within the scope of authority possessed by the Senate to make inquiry as to the rea sons of executive action or of non action. In order to present a complete and exact historic parallel, wo re print the following extract from his reply to the Senate, viz: I have Instructed the Attorney-General not to respond to that portion of the reso lution which calls tor a statement of his Teasons for nonaction. I have done so be cause I do not conceive It to be within the authority of the Senate to sive directions of this character to the head of an execu tive department or to demand from him Teasona for his action. Heads of the execu tive department are subject to the Consti tution and the laws passed by Congress In pursuance of the Constitution and to the directions of the President of the United States, but no other direction whatever. Doubtless there are critics who will Bay that such answer to. the Senate Is a mighty high proceeding; but per haps such may be mollified, more or less, when the fact is recalled to their attention that President Roosevelt is following exactly the course advised end pursued by President Jefferson, in similar cases. The Senate had called on President Washington for informa tion about an incident in the affairs of the Executive Department of the Government. The tone and purpose of the inquiry were not relished by the President, and he referred the inquiry to Jefferson, then Secretary of State, for an opinion and answer. Jefferson wrote the following, which has formed the rule of all similar action since, viz.: ' The President desired my opinion . . . I think the Senate ... Is not supposed by the Constitution to be acquainted with the concerns of the Executive Jjepartment. It was not Intended that these should be communicated to them. Again, several years later, Jefferson wrote: My construction of the Constitution is . . . that each department Is entirely In dependent of the others and has an equal rignt to decide for Itself In the cases sub mitted to Its action. Hence, therefore, those who may te disposed to become shrieky over this curt answer to the Senate from President Roosevelt may find it not so bad when fortified by the precedents eet by President Jefferson. ' FENATOR BAILEY'S OBJKCTIOX. Senator Bailey, of Texas, has no ob jection to the reading of Lincoln's first Inaugural message, in the Sen ate, on Lincoln's centennial birthday, but he does object to the reading of the emancipation proclamation. Is It that Senator Bailey thinks emancipation was an erroneous pol icy? Does he speak for any who still deem it an unjustifiable act? The language of the proclamation was not bitter. It was couched in terms that reflected, as all of Lincoln's utter ances reflected, the kindliness of his nature. There was not a word of de nunciation of the slaveholders in it. But he did speak of the people of the several states, then in arms against the United States, as persons "in re bellion against the United States;" and he declared that the emancipation of slaves In such states was "a lit and necessary war measure for suppress ing said rebellion." It may be that remembrance of these expressions ex cites the hostility of Senator Bailey. But la the history of the country to be obliterated by partisan or childish objections There was a rebellion; there was a great war; the slaves were emancipated and the rebellion was suppressed. These are the greatest events in the history of the country. Senator Bailey can hardly suppose the record of them is to be blotted out, or that the country ever will conclude that It was not right to suppress the rebellion and emancipate the slaves. It Is the Judsment of history that the word rebellion when used to de scribe the movement of a great people, Is not an opprobrious term, but there Is no other word that suffices; and emancipation is a word that should be no more objectionable -than liberty or freedom. NEGLECTING TERMINAL IMPROVE MENTS. The Brooklyn PJagle bewails the de cadence ?f New York as a grain chip ping port. It cites that fact that In ISoO the total receipts of grain at New York by canal and rail were 140,542, J91 bushels, of which the canal car ried 67.194.740 bushels. Exports of grain from New York In the same year were 114.647.425 bushels. Receipts of grain in New York by canal and rail in 1907 were 112.S97.8H bushels, of which the canal carried but 9.5S5, 000 bushels. Exports from New York In J907 were 61.928.387. It will be noted by these figures that more than one-half of the grain shipped to New York was consumed or distributed locally from that point. This heavy decrease in the export business has been scored at a time when there was a remarkable increase in tho amount of grain produced In the territory firr merly tributary almost exclusively to New York. The showing Is far from flattering for either the railroads or tho canal, but for the latter it is exceptionally poor. Commenting on the loss of traSTic by both classes of carriers, the Eagle continues: The showing of the Erie C.inal Is even mora neploru-jie. Since, In 107. .It carried n'T about ono-slxll.-th of what It did in lisi). it would apj.ear that, a a factor In rnte-maklng. it no lonr.-r serves a purpose. Yet the stare is s;en-l'nr m:iny mllMons In turains; it iato a bust) canoi, auU with uu assurance from the United 8tates Govern ment that the Hudson Kiver channel, in its upper reaches, will bo so deepened as to muke the slate expenditures of value or of USVheT it la too late the City of Near York will wake up to the fact that through stupi dity In not providing its trade with proper tormina! facilities. . it has Inst Its vantage and supremacy as the great grain port of the country. In that concluding sentence will bo found the keynote of the trouble, and It contains much that Is of Interest to other communities that neslect "proper terminal facilities," which in ..1, !-.- tViA Ynrflir1rii4. nnrl economical ! movement of ships carrying the grain to the worlds markets, 'ine .agie quite naturally Is unable to' see an advantage in spending millions for deepening the barge canal, if the Government will not Improve the Hud son River channel so that the barges can be handled after they pass through the canal. It Is of course a matter of doubt whether, with all of the Im provements made on the canal. It will ever again be much of a factor in rate-making. The railroads have di verted to Southern ports so much of the traffic that formerly found an out let at New York that it cannot easily be regained. The experience of New York should serve as a warning to other ports which neglect improve ments at terminal points where they are needed and engage In visionary improvement schemes which at .the best can never be tf advantage until the terminals and the outlet to tho sea are in perfect condition for hand ling traffic economically. The canal boat and the flat boat, Hko the bateaux of the trader, were all right in their day; but the twentieth-century method for moving freight is by train. That is the rea son that grain which was formerly shipped by way of New York now goes out by way of Galveston, Newport News and New Orleans. REVISION OF AN OLD STORY. "The Conquest of the Great North west," by Miss Agnes C. Laut. a Can adian woman of Northwestern up bringing, has Just been published. Tho book (in two volumes) would be more accurately named a History of the Hudson's Bay Company. But there is a good deal in the book about the long controversy between the United States and Great Britain over the Oregon question; and in this narrative the old story la told over again more definitely than In any of the common versions presented In our long-familiar accounts. Lord Abet-deen was at the time the British Premier. He had sent his brother. Captain Gordon, to the Columbia River and to Puget Sound to take a look over the disputed territory. The old story follows, thus revamped: In vain the fur traders of Oreeon and Vancouver Island spread the choicest game on Captain Gordon's table. He could not have his English bath. He could not have his English bed. He had had bad luck deerstalking and worse luck fishing. Asked if he did not think the mountains magnifi cent, his response was that he would not give the bleakest hill In Scotland for all those mountains In a. heap. Meanwhile the Hudson's Bay Company was wasting candle light in London preparing the case for the retention of Oregon. Matters hung fire Should It be Joint occupancy, "fifty-four-forty or fight," or compromise? Aberdeen's brother, on leave home, was called ln "Oregon? Oregon?" Yes. Gordon remem bered Oregon, lieeu fishing there last year, and "the fi.'h wouldn't rise to tho fly worth a d ! Let the country go!" This In a country where fish might be scooped out In tubfuls without lly or line! That there is much truth In this story has never been doubted though we never have seen it presented quite with this detail before. It Is a legend ary story, like the stories of Homer, or the Whitman amplification truer than history Itself, because they take the place of history, become endowed with what Is called "human Interest," and are more readily telieved than plain and simple and unimaginative truth. The general mind doesn't want history. History Is too dull. It pre fers fables. Yet the old story, told above, doubt less Is a true one. Such incident, how ever, never decided between the Uni ted States and Great Britain, the title to Oregon. We claimed to fifty-four forty. The British claimed to the Co lumbia River. Each party had a strong argument. The controversy, as is usual In such cases, ended on a basis of compromise. But we should like to know about this Aberdeen-Gordon story and where the original documents, if a. , are. Miss Laut does not inform us. But her revival of the story Interests us, nevertheless. BVSY MR. HAKRIMAN. By combining tho weather reports and the news of the Harriman proj ects, as reported in yesterday's Orego nian, it Is easy to understand why con struction work Is not yet under way on the railroad to Central Oregon. The snow storm was quite general through out Oregon and this, would of course interfere with construction. But Mr. Harriman must be given employment even -when it snows in Oregon; so we note in a dispatch from El Paso, Tex., that he has decided to build a rail way line from the main line of the Southern Pacific south into Mexico to a connection with the Guaymas and Guadalajara line. This line cannot be used for moving wheat from the Agency Plains country to Portland, but It discloses a willingness on the part of Mr. Harriman to build a railroad somewhere. Another news item In yesterday's Oregonian, under an Aberdeen date line, said that "the contract for build ing the Grays Harbor branch of the Union Pacific road has been let to Caughren, Winter, Smith Ai Co., of Spokane and Seattle" and that "the Union Pacific will be extended in the Straits of Fuca country, and that sur veyors have been In the Olympic mountain territory-" But even the snow storm in Central Oregon, the construction of a railroad into Mexico and the letting of a contract for the Grays Harbor branch would have been Insufficient to stop all progress on tho Central Oregon line, had it not been that Mr. Harriman was unusually -busy placing props under a "wobbly" stock market, which misbehaved shockingly because the prediction that Mr. Harri man would assume active management of the New York Central was not ful filled. For all that. It Is asserted that Mr. Harriman will have much to say about the management and policy of the New York Central, and that will obvi ate the necessity of his building any more competing lines in that territory and leave him free to gridiron the intervening territory between New York, and the Straits of Fuca and Mexico, and thus gradually work into tho Central Oregon country- The method of course is somewhat round about and it may be a long time be fore Central Oregon is reached; but we should not forget that it was not until 14 92 that Mr. Columbus made the preliminary survey of the coun try, and it was nearly 800 years after William the Conqueror built tlie grades before the first railroad was built in England. Central Oregon also enjoys the reputation of having more railway surveys and fewer railroads than any otl.er part of the country, which in itself is quite a distinction. TJNCSCAL WEATHER. Almost any bird can sing when the sun shines. Give us the fowl that is impelled to warblo when the bliz zard rages and the tempest howls. With some little pardonable pride The Oregonian announces to an anticipa tory public that it has found such a fowl and has listened enchanted to his winsome lay. When frenzied Boreas spread his wings and began to shake down the white pin feathers upon us, our enterprising poet tuned his sylvan pipe and burst into melody. And such melody, lilting, lyrical, lull ing, you shall search a long, long time ere you find the like of it again. 'Tl3 all about a traveler who hied him away from the East to find a place where the weather was not "unusual." Our songbird is a bit Inclined to be satirical, you perceive. . Day and night he sped along, sometimes the sky was bright. But when he reached Wyoming- It snowed both day and night. The girls In bloomers who form the principal attraction of that uproarious region Informed him that the "weather was unusual," just as he had found it clear across the continent. Then the traveler began to use his head. If Wyoming, the reputed iand of per petual sunshine, always had unusual weather, why not expect a similar re versal of natural law In Oklahoma? I hear it said that country Is always In a storm. Cyclones, winds and rains together, But perhaps I'll strike unusual weather. He did strike it, for When he reached that awful place There was warm sunshine galore. Thus in strains of undying sweet ness doth our swan maintain his para dox that every place on earth always enjoys unusual weather, a phenome non which others of less potent poet ical gifts have also observed. To clinch the proposition he journeyed from Oklahoma to Portland, taking a Pullman for the trip and by special favor of the Muses, sleeping all the way. Portland, he had heard, was A peaceful place, a mild and glorious clime, but when the conductor waked him up he Thought from the weather you had switched about And was sending me East again. I expected to wake and find myself in a kind of Paradise. "Oh. the weather Is unusual here," he said, "It Is usually warm and nice. The traveler naturally remonstrated with the conductor, who had Intro duced him to blizzards where roses were rightfully expected The bllzxard Is raging everywhere. It sorely can't be true That I am really wide 1 awake; someone pinch me. do. Then the brutal, conductor, after the manner of his kind, began to de ride the lorn traveler: Unusual weather, stranger, come warm your nose, I say: And wait till the sun shines, Teddle. stay over another day. Here his Inspiration failed and the poet laid away his harp without tell ing the anxious reader what happened further, but perhaps it is not diffi cult to Imagine. Really that con ductor brought his fate upon himself. PROHIBITION AND LOCAL OPTION. The Prohibition party has Issued a quasi official document from Its Na tional headquarters which almost amounts to a declaration of war upon the local optionists. It blames the latter for the diminished Prohibition vote In the last election, declares that local option Is a Tarce, and claims that wherever It has been adopted by the electors the Prohibitionists did the preliminary work which made it pos sible. The Prohibition party men never have been remarkable either for common sense or for rigorous veracity. Both those highly admirable qualities are more or less sacrificed in the above statements. No well Informed person who calls local option a farce can possibly feel that reverence for facts which is so extremely becoming to a worker In a good cause. The Bingle incident that local option has appre ciably diminished the Federal revenue from whiaky effectually disposes of all such wild charges. If local option were 4 truly a failure, neither the liquor interests nor the Prohibitionists would oppose it so bitterly as they do. The liquor men's sole imaginable rea son for disliking local option is that it diminishes their trade. If it had no effect upon their sales they would dis regard It just as they disregard the Good Templars' Lodge. Who ever heard of the whisky trust assailing that meek and maidenly Institution? The ProhlbitionLsts orpose local option because it does in stern reality, without fuss or feathers, what they do In vain theory and false pretense. Local option asks no political office for anybody. It runs counter to no man's principles and Infringes upon nobody's personal liberty. It presents the liquor business to tho people as an economic problem demanding solu-J tion and quietly asks "What are you going to do about it?" It accepts help from Republicans and Democrats with equal thankfulness, and so con ducts its campaigns that the voter can advance its cause without hindering other measures which may Interest him simultaneously. This, It seems to The Oregonian, is genuine practical wisdom; and the course of events cer tainly confirms our view of it. What did the Prohibitionists ever gain for actual temperance in the palmy days of their party when they used to makes those preposterous campaigns of vi tuperation, reproach and hysterical oratory? In a long series of years they won victories In two or three states, but how long did the victories last? Iowa presently repudiated Pro hibition altogether. Maine kept It up persistenly as a sham, though she never had the courage to make it real. Kansas held to it In about the same way until the local optionists became strong enough to make the law en forceable. The record of party prohibition is a tale of useless strife, barefaced hy pocrisy and admitted failure. On the other hand, local option took up the task which prohibition could not per form, and in a few years has relieved more than half the population of the country from the mischiefs of the un regulated saloon. In the South.it has swept over entire states, first extir pating the evil trade in scattering counties, then uniting its territory and conquering what remained. In Indi ana, Ohio, Wisconsin and almost every other state of the Mississippi Valley local option subjugates new territory at every election, scarcely ever losing anything and steadily gaining. If it wero a farce, some ojf the millions of voters who have put their confidence in it ought to begin to see their folly. But they do not. They trust it more and more every year. There Is not the slightest doubt that the progress of local option will in a lew more years put the liquor business of this country on an entirely new and a much better basis. AVhy should the prohibitionists complain? They com plain for the very natural reason that men of better Judgment than them selves are accomplishing what they could not accomplish. It irks them also to be put out of the game, to lose their martyr-like prominence, to be forced by events to retire from the platform and pulpit and sink into in significance. They see their occupa tion slipping away and naturally they lose their tempers. It is true that the prohibition vote has fallen oft in those states where local option is strongest, but what of it? Men who wished to see the evils of the lawless saloon abolished voted for prohibition as long as that was the only remedy before the public. As soon as something -better was pro posed In local option they accepted It as a matter of course. The falling oft in the prohibition vote does not mean that Interest in genuine temper ance reform has diminished. Quite the. contrary. It means that people of conscience and common sense have at last found an effective cure for the mischiefs they have long blindly com batted and they propose to apply It thoroughly and universally. The doc ument we have mentioned says that the politicians make concessions to the local option people In order to pull down the prohibition vote. This -Is nonsense. When' a politician makes concessions to local option it is be cause he sees power going that way and wishes to follow it. The Prohi bitionists never really frightened the politicians except in a state or two, but local option has them kneeling all over the country. The march of local option Is part of the gerat eth ical uplift of the Nation. Whosoever falls upon It shall be broken and on whomsoever It falls It shall grind him to powder. Strikingly suggestive of the line of talk which the bunco man puts out for his intended victim were the "child-like and bland" remarks that the steel trust representatives made to the President when they were seek ing his permission to absorb the Ten nessee Coal & Iron Co. "Judge Gary and Mr. Frick Informed me," says the President, "that as a mere busi ness transaction, they did not care to purchase the stock; that under ordi nary circumstances they would not consider purchasing the stock, as but little benefit will come to the Steel Corporation from the purchase," etc. It was probably to prevent the "little benefit" from becoming a loss that Mr. Harrlman'a large rail order that had not been filled by the Tennessee Coal & Iron Co. was turned back to the Illinois Steel Works, one of the older branches of the trust. With such able diplomats as Mr. Frick and Judge Gary at the head of Its affairs, the steel trust Is in no Immediate dan ger from any source. "Patrick Has Not Given Up Hope" is the headline'-over a news item an nouncing that the murderer of Million aire Rice expected to be soon released through habeas corpus proceedings. As the murder for which Mr. Patrick was convicted and frequently sen tenced to death was committed in 1900, there Is certainly no reason why such a criminal as Mr. Patrick should give up hope. It Is of course somewhat remarkable that Mr. Patrick should be kept in confinement for nine years while he was making an effort to escape the punishment for his crime, but, as for giving up hope, he will hardly succumb to anything like that for at least another" ten or twelve years. W. J. Van Schuyver is dead. He was among the older merchants of Portland. In 1860 he came to this pioneer city and in 1S64 went Into the wholesale liquor business, which he had continued ever since. He came from Fort Wayne, Ind., where he was born in 1834. To the older residents of Portland no man was. more familiar. He was a man of very quiet demeanor, yet earnest and per sistent in his purposes, a good citizen and a firm friend. The Legislature will meet on Mon day. It Isn't important. The less it may attempt the better. There really la no need of a session. It Is merely a custom. The cession can do no good; yet may, and probably will, do much evil. The King of Portugal continues to receive his daily warning of a plot to seize his throne. No doubt there are some misguided individuals who would like to be King of Portugal, but we cannot now recall their names. Of course Portland can get along without lights, for It did in former times. The great principle of "down ing" monopoly by refusing to pay to it bills legally Incurred and owed must be upheld at all hazards. It seems that the street lights are to be cut oft on Sunday night.. Peo-4 pie then, after nightfall can keep off the streets, and the head of the fam ily can patrol the house all night with a double-barreled shotgun. Two women have been acquitted In Pennsylvania for killing the husband of one of them, a politician. But still this event does not establish a Justi fiable precedent. He was a Pennsyl vania politician. The Senate is politely Informed by the President that what he did about the Tennessee Coal & Iron Company is none of the Senate's business; but still the Senate doesn't appear to be satisfied. , Only four more dayslll the Legis lature meets, but there doesn't appear to be the excitement over that mo mentous event that the occasion really justifies. Chicago, too, is dolefully struggling along in the throes of a blizzard. We w-ouldn't mention it, . except that It seems to be necessary to show that there are others. If the weather bureau will stick to that "continued cold" prophecy for a few days, much will be done to restore confidence in the weather bureau. Our weather prophecy Is that along about this time of year it is reasonable to expect cold weather with occa sional flurries of snow, or oftener. A Bellingham millionaire fell In love with a telephone girl "because of her sweet voice," and married her. So that's what's become of her? This is St. Jackson's day anniver sary of the battle of New Orleans (January S, 1S1J). ' ANOTHER VIEW OF AN EMERGENCY No Law or. Precedent to Cover a Suppo sitious Prr-Inautruratlon "Vacs ncy." WASHINGTON, D. C, Jan. 2. (To the Editor.) In a late issue of The Oregonian you published the following querle from a correspondent: "Assuming that the electoral col lege, during the life of Mr. Taft, should elect him, ;but thereafter and prior to Mr. Taft's inauguration Mr. Taft should die, what would be the result, politi cally? That Is to say, what would the procedure be as to the election of a President of the United States?" To which you answered: "The natural procedure would be to do nothing. Mr. Sherman would be in augurated as Vice-President and there after assume the office of President. However, if Mr. Taft should die the day after -election by the electoral col lege In January, there would be time for Congress, which canvasses the vote Jn February, to meet the emergency in some manner acceptable to the Repub lican party and the entire country." In my judgment your answer was not wholly correct. Clause 5 of Article 2 of the Constitution reads as follows: "In case of the removal of the Pres ident from office, or of his death, res ignation, or Inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the President and Vice-President, de claring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be re moved, or a President shall be elected." The 12th amendment to the Consti tution, after providing for the canvass of the votes for President and Vice President, provides if It shall appear that no person has received a majority of the votes of "the whole number of electors appointed" the House of Rep resentatives shall proceed to elect a President "from the persons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as president." It further provides that "if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve- on them, before the 4th day of March next fol lowing, then the Vice-President shall act as President as in the case of death or other constitutional disability of the President." Thus it will be seen that only in the happening of one of two events can the Vice-President act as President, namely, (1) should the House fail to elect or (2) in case of the "removal of tho President from office, or of his death, resignation or inability to dis charge the powers and duties of the office." Suppose, however, that the electors should choose a President and the House should duly canvass the vote and duly declare the result or that the majority of the electors should fail to vote for any one person and the House should choose the President and that the person so chosen either by the electors or by the House should, after the canvass of the votes by the House or after election by !t and before March 4, die, who- would then act as Presi dent? The Vice-President could not because the vacancy in the office would not have occurred either by the remov al, death, resignation of the President or the failure of the House to elect, nor would it be a case of the inability of the president to discharge the du ties of the office. It would not be a case of the death of the President be cause one elected to be President can not enter upon the office until March 4 thereafter and he does not then be come President until he has taken the, oath of office. Nor can Congress make provision for some other person or official to act as President except in case of the "removal, death, resigna tion or inability of both the President and Vice-President?" It is clear, there fore, that should the President-elect, after the House has canvassed the vote or chosen him, and before he has taken the oath of office, die, the Vice-President could not act as President and the Congress would have no constitu tional authority to fill the office. This defect is realized and a resolu tion proposing an amendment to cure It. is now pending before the Judiciary Committeee of the Senate. It was pre sented by Senator Bacon, of Georgia. C. ,V. FULTON. Enomiona Wnate of Pence New York Times. Whi' the loss of life in the earthquake is inexact by thousands of lives,, precision in monetary loss is unimportant as well as inexact. One on the spot has hazarded the guess that the loss Is a milliard lire, say $0)0,000.000. Although less than the San Francisco loss in total. It falls upon a people so much' poorer that the calam ity Is relatively greater. Some of the dead would hardly have cared to live to face the trial, and the wounds will heal years before the financial loss is recov ered. Pity is heightened by the consid eration that the Buffering was unescap able and, humanly speaking-, undeserved. On the same day that these considera tions are presented regarding Italy the fact is liable to escape notice that we customarily Inflict upon ourselves a sim ilar burden. It was a normal year, and yet our fire loss was $190,000,00. about what Calabria and Sicily have Buffered. Nineteen cities have had losses of $100.- . Vonr Vnrlf a a hlld a flOZPn UW Ul lllUlc. " - - ...... . such losses. It seems to be thought all in the day's work, as though it were a provi dential dispensation. It Is nothing of the sort. It le wicked waste, and the grea est single tax levied upon prosperity. Each five years, the loss approximates the National debt. Each ten years $1,600, 000,000 Is disbursed in premiums. And there is the expense of the fire departments be sides. We burn between a quarter or a third in value as much as we erect . an nually. We number our buildings by mil lions, and our really fireproof structures by scores. Yet many who are grieved over the damage in Italy are thinking nothing of our continuing loss. Warnings In Eight Lansruages. New York Times. The death of a young' Hungarian girl who was overcome by gas on the first night she stayed at a new place at Caldwell, N. J., recently, has caused the Mountainside Hospital managers of Montclalr to issue warnings In eight languages relating to the proper meth od of turning off the gas. These warnings are printed on a card, and will be placed in the rooms of servant girls throughout Montclalr, Verona, Glen Ridge, Caldwell, Bloom field, and other towns that send pa tients to tho Mountainside Hospital. The warning, as printed in English, says: "The burning gas must not be blown out, only turned off, so that the key stands crosswise with the pipe; other wise the escaping gas will cause death." The warnings in the other languages are headed: German, "Warnunss;" Swedish, "Varnlng;" Hungarian, "Fig yelem:" Polish,- "Zwazenie;" Norweg ian, "Advarsel;" Bohemian, "Ctete;" Slavonian, "Citajte." Brief Lesson In Enxrllsh. From Tit-Bits. Graduate Which is the proper ex pression to use "Girls are" or "Girls is"? Chorus of Schoolmates "Girls are," of course. Fair Graduate Of course; pshaw! Girls, are my hat on straight? Meat and Potatoes, Also. PORTLAND, Jan. 7. (To the Editor.) Just a line to add to your suggestion about feeding birds while the snow lasts. In this freezing weather, they enjoy meat and potatoes as well as bread-crumbs. Put out all your scraps for the birds.- BETSY. ANNUAL) REVIEW OF T. M. C A. High-Tide Wnter Marls of Prosperity In Year Jnat Pnased. The annual review of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America, dated January, 1909. has been received, and Is headed "Association Men." It consists of about 200 closely printed pages, giving a general picture of results of work done by Young Men's Christian Association effort for the past year and showing plans for the future, and the central thought is ootimism and encouragement. "The little book is handsomely illus trated, showing pictures of Y. M. C. A. buildings at Philadelphia, Fa.; South Bend. Ind.; Duluth. Minn.; Loa Angeles. Cal.; Spokane, Wash.; Houston, Texas; Baltimore, Md.: Madison, N. J.; Edmon ton, Alberta; Charlotte, N. C. etc. The new Y. M. C. A. building in this city is not pictured, as it ha3 not progressed enough in construction to be shown, but on page 1S2, under the heading of "City Association Buildings Com pleted in 1908," appears the statement: "Portland, Or.. $350,000." Among the Interesting articles are extracts of speeches by President-elect Taft and Governor Hughes, of New York, on Association work. This extract is taken from the arti cle on "The Business of Developing Men and Boys to Higher Efficiency": "The Young Men's Christian Associa tion is engaged in the business of train ing for physical endurance and effi ciency, educating for business advance ment, making individual members of society clean, conscientious and Chris tian, arresting moral decay and stay ing the waste of dissipation. "To this purpose It is directing the volunteer forces of its 1939 branches, with 456.000 members, more than 60,000 of whom are committed to regular and systematic undertakings for the better ment of men, in addition to the Inci dental and occasional services of thou sands more; 2544 secretaries and direc tors selected and professionally trained as specialists are its employed force: "It has increased Its 'Manhood Fac tories," to use the term of President Roosevelt in referring to the Studebak er Memorial Association Building, by S4 in one year, at a cost of $10,000,000. Its property, new totalling $60,000,000. with SO buildings to 'cost $9,000,000 more, under construction or projected. . "The Associations also secured and used In their undertakings $6,993,000 within ti i year, fully half of which was paid by their members. "There are 48,000 employed men and boys increasing their efficiency for business by night study in 160 branches of supplementary education and train ing. Fcr this they pay $323,000 in fees. "More than 190,000 men and boys are increasing their physical efficiency in tho 613 gymnasiums taught by 413 trained physical directors, assisted by 64H0 volunteer leaders, while right habits of wholesome living, exercising and working are taught fully 200,000 more in communities and factories. "To sustain and develop moral effi ciency, reinforce character, Bave from the waste and wreck of dissipation, vigorous use is made of personal Influ ence and thousands of Bible classes and religious services. In the Bible classes .105,000 men and boys were trained and more than 100,000 each week attend religious meetings. "On the Panama Canal Zone four buildings provided by the Government for the safeguarding of Its employes are put Into the Association's "hands to conduct. "The War Department opens the way at posts, forts and Navy-yards, and in vites and facilitates the Association's work among soldiers and sailors. "In more than one university a thou sand men are cultivating Christian character In association Bible classes. There are 763 student associations with 5 9,000 members. "In Summer institutes of 10 to SO days each, over 3000 men are trained in Christian leadership, 2200 of whom are college students. "School and employed boys in their teens by thousands are 'guarded in un guarded years," and engaged for influ ence among their companions, and 10, 000 were with Christian leaders in Sum mer camps. "Cotton, mining, lumber, steel and other great manufacturing industries have engaged and equipped associa tions to serve their men. "The Government has invited the county department to work with It in its country uplift movement. "In the Association dormitories 19, 000 young men made their homes and fully 40.000 more were directed to good boarding pjaces. "Employment was found for men and boys with yearly salaries aggregating $16,000,000. "The 49S9 country and town corre spondents Introduced thousands of young men when leaving home for city or college, the world over. "The dally attendance at the reading rooms exceeds 155,000. "The international and state commit tees engaged in the promotion of this bualness used $650,000 In their work last year. , "Railroad companies gave $385,000 last year for maintenance and often as much or more for equipment of ,the 242 associations on their lines." A Generous Man. Washington Post. Two Irishmen were discussing the death of a friend. Said Pat: "Sure, Casey was a good fellow." "He was that," replied Mike. "A good fellow, Casey." "And a cheer ful man was Casey," said Pat. "A cheerful man was Casey, the-cheerful-lest I ever knew," echoed Mike. "Casey was a generous man, too," said Pat. "Generous, you say? Well, I don't know so much about that. Did Casey ever buy you anything?" "Well, near ly," replied Mike, scratching his head. "One day he came into Flaherty's bar room, where me and my friends were drinking, and he said to us: 'Weil, men, what are we going to have rain or snow ' ? " Saylnss of Great Men. New York Globe. I'd rather be Governor of 'New York than President of France. I wear whis kers myself. President Hughes. A FEW SQUIBS. In the matter of bills receivable the memory of the Standard Oil is. however absolutely faultless. .Newark Evening News. Irascible Magistrate Officer, why did you bring this prisoner up before me? Can't you see he's as deaf as a door null? Policeman Oi was told ye'd give him a hearing, sor. Judge." Him And you won't go with me? Her No, I don't like .your style. Him Poohl You're as full of airs as a street piano. Her Maybe, but I don't go with a crank. Cleveland Leader.- "Do you regard BllKgina as a man of great depth?" "No," answered Miss Cay enne. "His conversation is hard to follow. But his Is one of tho natures that avoid seeming shallow by being opaque." Wash ington Star. 'Ol hear they do be slndln' messages now widout wolres or poles. Faith It's won dherful toimes we're living in, Dennis." "It is. Moike. Shure, th' way things Is goin" we'll be able to thravel widout lavln home wan ar, tblm days." Judge. Bink Stung again yesterday. Wink You are always gettinR stung. What now? Blnk Answered an ad that said for a dollar they would tell mo how to save plumber's bills Wink And the answer? Wink Just two words "File them." Chicago Dally News. First, out of man's need, sprang Enter prise alert, tireless, and presently so for tretful of Its origin as to push on where no need was. But at length Enterpriss was made conscious of Its trousers, and how, by such lierce activity. It was bagging these. And that was the besiuning 0f Uenulily. Puck. LIFE'S SUNNY SIDE De Lancey Nlcoll, the lawyer, dis cussing a celebrated case, gave his idea of a suspicious question one of those suspicious questions which carry their own conviction with them. "It is Just such a question as a gilded youth asked the head waiter in a Broadway restau rant the other morning. 'Was Blank here last night?" he betran. 'Yes. sir," the waiter answered. 'And,' said the youth, nervously, 'was I with him?' " Argonaut- "Sure." said Patrick, rubbing his head with delight at the prospect of a Christmas box, "I always mine to do me duty." "I believe you," replied his employ er, "and therefore I shall make you a present of all you have stolen from mo during the year." "Thank ye, yer honor." replied Pat, "and may all your friends and acquaint ances trate you as liberally." Tit-Bits. e Cissie Mamma, mayn't I take the part of the milkmaid at the fancy dress ball? Mamma you are too little. Clssle Well, I can be a condensed milkmaid. Comic Cuts. e s "Ma'am, here's a man at the door with a parcel for you." "What is it, Bridget?" "It's fish, ma'am, and It's marked C. O. D." "Then make tho man take It straight back to the dealer. I ordered trout." Baltimore American. George Wilson Sellers, the Western cricketer, described In Chicago his at tempt me to teach cricket to the men on his Indiana eBtate. "Cricket Is, of course, a more leisure ly game than baseball," said Mr. Sellers. "We played it on my place in the proper leisurely manner, and all my men seemed pleased. Our first match was with Concord. "One of my men his name Is John seemed particularly pleased. John did full justice, before the match, to the lunch served In the marquee on tho lawn. He enjoyed, too, the meat tea that pleasantly interrupted the after noon's play. At each Inning he was on hand when the drinks and cigars and sandwiches were passed a'bout. "During the open-air dinner that wound up the first day's play I turneii to John and said: " 'Well, old man, what do you think of cricketr "Mr. Sellers,' said he, 'it would be a grand game if it wasn't for all this here fieldln' and runnin' about between meals.' " Detroit Free Press. e e It was Just as the curtain was being rung up that kind-hearted Mrs. Grey suddenly remembered the Inquiry that she had intended to make about a sick neighbor. She leaned back and ac costed Mrs. Baseom, who had Just moved in next door to the sick friend. "Can you tell me," she queried, hasti ly, "how old Mrs. Davis is?" A puzzk-d and reflective look stole over the face of Mrs. Basoom as she turned for a whispered consultation with a third lady, directly behind her. Presently Bhe bobbed back toward Mrs. Grey, her forehead puckered. "I really am not quite certain," she re ported, apoiogotk-ally. "but I believe she Is at least 75." Harper's. Weekly. e "It's real mean!" the young woman exclaimed. "What's the matter?" her mother In quired. "Before I married Herbert I mado him promise to pass every evening at home with me, and now he says no's sorry, but he cant take me to tho theater without breaking his word." Philadelphia Inquirer. Mr. Meek Did you turn my ace? Mrs. M. Yes. What of it? Ma M. N-nothing, my dear. I'm glad It was you. If one of our oppont-nts had done it, we'd have lost the trick. Cleveland Leader. e Miss Hobson was most popular with the two young and unmarried members of Centerville's school board. They did not propose to have any change of teachers in District No. 3. "Do you think Miss Hobson pays quite enough attention to discipline?" suggested one of the elderly, married school committeemen one day. "Discipline! Why, of course she pays a great deal of attention to it," assert ed Ed Porter, hastily. "We never had anybody else begin to pay as much," said Henry Lane. "why. one afternoon I was in there at No. 3 and Mlsa Hobson spent the whole time every minute of it preserving order in that schoolroom.' Youth's Com panion. e e "Hi, there; no bathing allowed.' "I'm not bathing I'm trying to com mit suicide." "That's quite another thing; I beg your pardon." Fliegende-Blatter. IN THE MAGAZINE SECTION OF THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN PHILANDER 0. KNOX, A KIDDLE Many-sided character of tho Pennsj-Ivnnian chosen to bo the head of Taft's Cabinet. He re sents more contradictions than any other man in America. WHEN LINCOLN CAME OF AGE lie had no trade, no profession, no spot of land, no patron, no in fluence, nothing in the world, not even a respectable suit of clothes. NEVEE-ENDING PUNISH MENT FOR INDIANS After 30 years, the Uncompah gres are still paying the penalty for the Meeker massacre. CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE SLEPT IN PRISON CELLS Like Bunyan and De Foe, liv ing famous men planned their best work behind prisou bars. HAVING FUN IS PAIN FUL TO THE RICH Says the Hotel Clerk, and then lampoons New Yorkers for their form of high-class entertainment. ORDER EARLY FROM YOUR NEWSDEALER.